


love me tender (love me sweet)

by ShirosRedKnight (SweetFanfics)



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: M/M, keith takes care of shiro, my favorite thing to write
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-04
Updated: 2017-01-04
Packaged: 2018-09-14 20:24:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,244
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9201020
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SweetFanfics/pseuds/ShirosRedKnight
Summary: Usually he’d banter with Keith, saying that he’s not that bad. Then Keith will agree and say something like Shiro’s still plenty bad. That he’s still got that bad boy buried somewhere deep in him and Shiro will laugh, the sound of it brighter and warmer than summer sunshine.This silence however, is more like the frost that clings to a spring blossom. Cool, fragile, and sad. In need of a little sunlight and warmth.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by [this ever so lovely fanart](https://shirosredknight.tumblr.com/post/150633403370/yumikoyuki-did-just-the-number-1-for-now-and) by yumikoyuki
> 
> 3am and here we are aggaainn~ at least this time I know exactly what I want to write :D

“You got it?” Shiro asks, face tilted up and hands on his hips. From his perch on Black’s shoulder, Keith lets out an affirmative call, tells him to watch out, and lets go of the load in his arms. A large ball of white fluff, soft and light as a feather, floats down gently into Shiro’s waiting arms. 

 

As he throws the ball away into the large pile they’ve plucked out of their lions, Shiro jokes, “I always hoped there’d be cats in space but I never imagined they’d be _that_  big _.”_

_“Or_ that they’d shed so much that they’d get stuck in the Lion’s gears,” Keith adds distastefully, rubbing his palms against his hips to get the fur off his hands. He wonders if the Altean's have something akin to a lint cleaner. His pants are practically white thanks to all the discarded fluff sticking to them. Once he’s done cleaning his hands, he double checks the rope knotted into his harness and looks back down at Shiro, “I’m coming down now.”

 

He makes large jumps down Black’s leg, enjoying the controlled fall and rush of air roaring in his ears. Keith lands neatly on top of Black's paw, cheeks flush and lips pulled apart in a happy grin.

 

“Show off,” he hears Shiro tease from behind. 

 

Keith barks out a laugh, hands moving to free himself, “Like you don’t do the same damn thing every time.”

 

The ropes slither out of their place in a hushed whisper. The harness is far noisier thanks to its bulk and metal hoops sewn into it. Or maybe it just _seems_  louder because Shiro hasn’t said anything. 

 

Usually he’d banter with Keith, saying that he’s not _that_ bad. Then Keith will agree and say something like Shiro’s still plenty bad. That he’s still got that bad boy buried somewhere deep in him and Shiro will laugh, the sound of it brighter and warmer than summer sunshine. 

 

This silence however, is more like the frost that clings to a spring blossom. Cool, fragile, and sad. In need of a little sunlight and warmth. 

 

Turning around fully, Keith raises a curious eyebrow down at Shiro. Who smiles faintly up at him, hands raised up, “Need a hand down?”

 

He doesn’t but why pass the offer up?

 

Crouching a little, Keith braces his hands on Shiro’s shoulders while the older paladin’s hands wrap firmly around his waist. As he brings Keith down, Shiro's hands shift, cupping the under curve of Keith’s ass. He uses it to keep Keith against Shiro. 

 

Something’s bothering Shiro. That much is easy enough for Keith to pick up. But what is it…

 

He stares into the other man’s dark eyes. Lets his eyes drift to pick up details he missed previously. Shiro’s eyes are rimmed red and strained at the edges. Like he’s been scrubbing sleep away all day. There are dark circles under his eyes. 

 

 _Were his cheekbones always this pronounces?_  Keith wonders, gentle, worried fingers tracing Shiro’s jaw before sweeping up. Careful thumbs rub the soft skin under Shiro’s eyes. Keith smiles at how he can _see_  Shiro relaxing at the gentle contact. The long exhale Shiro lets out is a gentle push back against Keith's torso. It sounds weary as can be and has Keith deciding, to Hell with the rest of the day.

 

Keith sweeps Shiro’s white bangs off his forehead and kisses the revealed skin -a tender, long touch. Under his right palm, Shiro’s chest rises and falls. His exhale skims over Keith’s neck and the hollow of his collarbone. It feels like hot relief.

 

“Take me back to bed,” Keith murmurs, leaning back to meet Shiro’s gaze. Keeps it on him when Shiro’s eyes start to wander to the other lions they haven’t gotten to. His fingertips press into the other man’s cheek, ensuring his focus stay on Keith, “We’ll finish up tomorrow. No rush remember?”

 

He can see the internal debate going on inside Shiro’s head. It’s present in his deeply furrowed brows and lowered gaze. Shiro wants to put his responsibility to the team above his own well-being.

 

Keith kisses the deep lines between Shiro’s eyebrows. Once. Twice. Thrice for good luck. “Shiro…” he murmurs, “come on. You need to sleep.”

 

Another exhale, longer and more tired. It sounds like gentle defeat. “Okay,” Shiro whispers against his chin, pressing a kiss there before nosing Keith’s jaw. He dips his head down, holding Shiro’s face in his hands as they kiss. Lazy, lazy, lazy, and slow to boot.

 

Shiro lowers Keith to his feet as they go from one kiss to the next, hands squeezing the younger man’s ass before moving up. Broad fingers hook into his belt and belt loops, keeping their hips pressed snug together. 

 

He pulls away when his lungs begin to burn and there’s, unfortunately, no other choice in the matter but to breathe instead of kiss Shiro some more. Keith gasps, chest heaving in tandem with Shiro’s. Laughs breathlessly, “ _Just_  sleep.”

 

“Sure I can’t convince you other?” Shiro murmurs teasingly, right hand slipping under his shirt.

 

With a firm shake of the head, Keith steals one more kiss before answering, “Not today. Now come on. Let's get you to bed.”

 

It says something about how tired Shiro is that he doesn’t put up a fight. He simply lets Keith guide him out of the hanger they’ve got all the lions parked in, leaning more and more on the shorter man as they get closer to Shiro’s room. Shiro’s fully leaning on Keith by the time the room door is sliding open, his arm a heavy weight around the younger paladin’s shoulders. 

 

“Shiro?” His boyfriend lets out a grunt of acknowledgement. “Raise your arms up.”

 

Every instruction Keith gives, Shiro obeys with closed eyes. Only when Keith helps him sit down on the bed does he open his eyes a sliver and tiredly ask, “We here already?”

 

 _How many hours a night is he even getting?_  Keith wonders how many hours of sleep you need to miss out on to qualify as being thoroughly sleep deprived. “Yeah babe, we’re here. Kick your shoes off if you’re gonna get in bed.”

 

Shiro does his best but he’s more asleep than awake and winds up almost kicking Keith a couple of times while trying to shove his boots off his feet. But together, they manage to get his boots, socks, and pants off. Shiro turns over to face the wall as soon as his dark jeans are off, sighing deeply.

 

Snorting faintly, Keith strips down to his underwear as well. Grabs his tablet to send the group a message on the local network Pidge has set up, telling them that they won’t be available till the next morning. Allura is the first to ask if anything wrong and Keith answers back truthfully - _Shiro needs some rest_. 

 

She bids them good night, Lance openly declares Shiro being sleep deprived, and Pidge chimes in with some numbers about optimal sleep patterns that Keith swears he’ll read more carefully after he wakes up. 

 

After he’s turned his tablet off, Keith crawls into the space behind Shiro. Whispers his name, “Shiro?” but there’s no answer. Shiro’s already deep asleep. 

 

Smiling faintly, Keith presses his lips to the pale scar curling around Shiro’s shoulder and murmurs, “Sleep tight.” and closes his eyes as well. He'll ask Shiro what's been bothering him in the morning, when he's pliant and sleep soft. 


End file.
